I thought last year was finally the year the Hilltoppers would end their NCAA tournament drought; they came up two points short in the Conference-USA finals against North Texas in what has become a familiar scene in Bowling Green. Five seasons in a row, the Hilltoppers have been early conference favorites, and five seasons in a row they have disappointed in the conference tournament. The carousel of excitement and disappointment seems to be never-ending for fans of the Tops, but perhaps this season will be different with somewhat lowered expectations following the departures of program hallmarks Charles Bassey and Taveion Hollingsworth.
As usual, Brandenburg, KY native Head Coach Rick Stansbury has allocated as much talent on the hill as any team in C-USA possesses. If last season’s squad was defined by an over-reliance on those two aforementioned departed stars, then this season will be defined by depth; a huge swath of talented newcomers, transfers and freshmen alike, will need to learn how to play together if the Hilltoppers want to make a run at the NCAA tournament.
That’s not to say this Western Kentucky squad will be without a solid number of key returners. High-flying wing super senior Josh Anderson is back for a fifth year, and he’s already showcased what’s made his name famous in college basketball circles in Western’s tuneup opener against Alabama State:
Anderson is a walking poster, but his athleticism also allows him to take gambles on defense that often result in forced turnovers—an underrated facet of his game. At 6-7, he’s big enough to challenge big men in the post, and he’s also a tenacious matchup on the perimeter. He should average upward of two steals per game.
Also returning is former Kentucky Mr. Basketball sophomore 6-1 point guard Dayvion McKnight (Martha Layne Collins HS). Built as solid as they come, McKnight surprised Tops loyalists when he broke into the starting lineup almost immediately as a freshman last year. A true point guard, his court vision is already elite among guards in the conference, and he should continue to grow as a player. He’s also shown flashes to be a reliable scorer, so look for his efficiency and consistency to improve this season.
Redshirt senior wing Luke Frampton is back. He’s the Hilltoppers’ best shooter, among the best in the conference. He moves off the ball well, and it’s not uncommon for Stansbury to run sets for him on off-the-ball screens. He’ll likely retain his sixth man role from last season, but he could see more run considering the roster’s loss of shooting prowess over the offseason.
One more surprise returner is back for Western Kentucky: after a year as a grad assistant, super senior Camron Justice was granted an extra year of eligibility. A late decision from the NCAA, this ruling is a very welcome surprise. An elite shooter from range, the former Vanderbilt recruit won Kentucky Mr. Basketball at Knott County Central six years ago in 2015, which is sort of incredible to consider in 2021. Justice’s shooting and veteran (okay, more than veteran) leadership will provide some much-needed stability and continuity for a roster mostly devoid of it.
As for Stansbury’s returners, that’s about it. Junior big man Isaiah Cozart is back to reprise his role as a backup in the paint, but let’s proceed to the newcomers, who are legion in Bowling Green this season. Redshirt senior transfer guard from Cincinnati Keith Williams could very well be the most talented player in C-USA this season. In a stronger conference last season, Williams posted over 14 points per game. At 6-5, he’s also an elite rebounder for a guard. His athleticism and decision-making should augment the play of his backcourt running mates. Four-star recruit point guard Zion Harmon (Marshall County HS) is another newcomer who should compete for spot starter minutes. Undersized but lightning quick, Harmon should provide an immediate scoring punch off the pine.
While the Hilltoppers’ backcourt is undeniably stacked, the frontcourt sans Bassey and Carson Williams is anything but. Stansbury hit the transfer market hard to replace these two cornerstones’ production, nabbing a pair of power conference down-transfers for his efforts. Jairus Hamilton, a 6-8 stretch four from Maryland, will finally earn his chance to shine after being largely forgotten in the perennially deep Terrapins’ roster. Jaylen Butz, a 6-9 traditional big, comes from the beleaguered DePaul program, and he’ll be expected to handle the best post players in the conference on a nightly basis.
Yet the most exciting post pickup for Stansbury this offseason will likely start the season coming off the bench. Former Hopkinsville HS standout and JUCO All-American Jamarion Sharp stands as the tallest player in the NCAA this season at 7-5. Although he’s as thin as a rail, Sharp has all the makings of an elite shot blocker. At John A. Logan last season, he averaged an unprecedented six blocks per game. While that number will decrease as he adjusts to D-I competition, one of the oldest adages in basketball rings true in this case: “you can’t teach height.”
Despite his shortcomings in the clutch, Stansbury has done a great job of competing with and eking out wins against Power 6 competition at WKU. The Tops’ schedule for 2020-21 features a number of these opportunities, with early-season games against Minnesota and at Memphis, and in December against Ole Miss and Louisville. They’ll also square off against a couple very good mid-major squads in Buffalo and Eastern Kentucky, establishing a very well-rounded non-conference schedule that should reveal a lot about the makeup of this team. This year also marks the first in a few that the Hilltoppers are not the odds-on favorites to win the conference title, as Louisiana Tech returns Kenneth Lofton, Jr., the chunky big man who starred for the U19 USA Team who won gold at the FIBA World Cup this summer. He’s likely the best player in the conference, and it’s likely Stansbury is already game-planning on how best to contain his vast repertory of post moves in conference play. Additionally, UAB returns one of the deepest and most experienced rosters in the nation, highlighted by former Franklin-Simpson standout guard Tavin Lovan. For the first time in a while, the pressure is off Stansbury and the Tops. It will be an uphill battle, but on paper these Hilltoppers once again have more than enough talent to handle those teams. It’s up to Stansbury to mold this group of individual players into a team. If he can do that, WKU will likely end their longest tournament drought in school history and could very well end up as a popular first-weekend upset pick.